Community
17 April, 2024
Honor roll unveiled at Timboon
SEVENTY people helped commemorate and restore a significant piece of local history in Timboon earlier this month.
On Saturday, April 6 the unveiling of the replacement of the original Timboon World War I honor board – which was lost when fire destroyed the Timboon hall in 1963.
Members of the Heytesbury District Historical Society (HDHS) went to work to compile a list of names to grace both the World War I and World War II boards after receiving a donation from the Vecta Group and Cooper Energy.
The task proved more challenging than first envisaged, with HDHS members Peter Younis, Nancy McCadie and Marg Magil spending many hours researching records to produce the final list.
Mr Younis said like many of the memorials, the Timboon one was unveiled in 1917, well before the end of the war.
“This meant that there were probably omissions and after six months we decided rather than creating a new list, our goal would be to replace the original board and to update the complete list on a new project planned for the Powers Creek Reserve,” he said.
At the unveiling HDHS president Anne McMeel welcomed those in attendance and Mr Younis presented a history of the original and replacement board.
“We were very pleased to have present, family members of a number of soldiers listed and the ceremony was a respectful, and at times, emotional event,” Mr Younis said.
“It was also an honour to welcome representatives of all the district RSL sub branches.
“Member for Polwarth Richard Riordan, spoke of the importance of these memorials and moved the Australian flag aside to the applause of all gathered.”
Mr Younis said the timberwork for the new honor roll was completed by local craftsman Robert Marr and the artwork by fellow local Ian Currell.
“The result has surpassed expectations and the people gathered on Saturday were ebullient in their praise for the quality and authenticity of the work,” he said.